Music and Gender - - Women in the Metal scene

Whenever I have free time I'm always blasting music especially when doing these blog entries to get inspired. The main music genre I tend to listen to consists of a lot of rock music, especially 70’s- 90’s Metal music [It's something I've become a lot more passionate about over the past few years]. However as I looked more into it and thought of a topic of this blog I realized that the metal scene in earlier years (and even in present time) is typically a more Male dominating genre and I thought that topic could be quite fitting for this entry.

Before I get to the main topic, a moment to appreciate this legend.

I could take the easy route and talk about how men would break Stereotypes and “gender norms” but I wanted to use this time to appreciate some of the women within the metal scene. I myself am guilty of this as well, when I typically listen to male dominant bands such as Black sabbath, Metallica, Dio, Judas Priest, etc [all of which are amazing bands by the way and I could go on], however I never sought out many women-led groups. With that being said I'm going to use this as a way to introduce not only myself but others to this genre of music and the sexism that was a dominating issue in the 70s and 80s.

In an interview with Nancy Wilson (Heart) there are many topics brought up about how women within the rock industry should be only promoted by showing off their bodies and looks. However Wilson states that within the band of heart they wanted to be like the Beatles, and not just girls trying to be the Beatles. There was a sort of dictator shit brought on by men in the rock industry where women had to be extremely feminine, and could go outside of those stereotypes. They had experienced many encounters at gigs and parties where they were disrespected for being women and even got fired from a gig on the spot after a comment Ann Wilson made about the food. However soon after they got a call from Rod Stewart and were given an opportunity to play an opening at a gig, this would be their first introduction onto the “big stage”.

As time went on they were seen as great musicians and led the way for many other women within the music industry especially within rock and roll.

Heart - Alone

Heart - Barracuda

There's another instance where Joan Jett (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts) talks about the sexism in Hair Metal. Jett was a part of an all women's band in 1975 known as the Runaways, who performed openers for groups such as Cheap Trick and Van Halen, and were seen as more of a novelty act. The Runaways disbanded in 1979 and then in later years Jett went on to form The Blackhearts. The “I Love Rock and Roll” album took years to surface but when it did it was a massive hit. She ignored many of the derogatory comments of her being a woman and continued to do what she was passionate about and created a space for others to grow in this industry. 

The Runaways - Cherry Bomb

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation

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Cites Sources - -

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/joan-jett-bad-reputation-shows-how-jett-defied-sexism-determined-ncna914801

Music and Rituals - - Lantern Festival

 

Chinese Lantern Festival - -

Personally for me, starting this blog was a bit of a struggle because I didn't want to do too much of a traditional ritual such as wedding or funeral so I decided to look into more festivals and holidays. While researching I came across different Chinese
festivals and events and the one that caught my eye was the Lantern Festival. 

The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated in not only China but other Asian countries as well. This holiday is meant to honor deceased ancestors on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar (Yuan), and aims to promote peace and forgiveness. During this time houses are decorated with colorful lanterns, often with written riddles - if the riddle is answered correctly the solver earns a small gift. This celebration also includes parades, lion and dragon dances, as well as food venders and fireworks.

The festival originated in the Han dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), where Buddhist monks would light lanterns on the 15th day of the lunar year to honor the Buddha. It was then later adopted by the general population and spread all throughout China as well as other parts of Asia. 

Lantern Festival | Definition, History, Traditions, & Facts | Britannica 

Within Chinese culture from the lantern festival to Chinese New Year dragon dances are seen in many places such as China and Chinatowns all over the world. These dances are believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck, it's even considered lucky if one is to be touched by a dragon within this dance. 

The costume itself can range as long as 2 meters to 100 meters or even as long as 1,000 meters. It's believed that the longer the costume is, the more luck it will bring. The body is composed of a large dragon head, and long tail-like body that is lifted up by poles in a number of sections. The costume is made of various materials such as grass, bamboo, paper, and cloth, and the body is woven in a round tube-like shape using bamboo strips, covered with a large red cloth with scales decorating it.  

The costume is typically stored in a local “Dragon King Temple”, and is only brought out the day of the dragon dance. It's typically accompanied by local people holding banners and flags, as well as pounding drums, and blowing in trumpets. 

Someone will hold a rod with a  big ball - this is known as the “Pearl of Wisdom”- at the top leading the dragon during the dance. The movements of the dragon chasing the pearl symbolizes that the dragon is continuously pursuing wisdom. After the dance, the dragon's head and tail will be burnt and the body will be returned to the temple where it is stored and kept until the following year. 

What Is Chinese Dragon Dance? What is the Meaning?.